Titled simply Western States road map, this 1935 production by the H.M. Gousha Company for the Standard Oil Company of California distills the romance and practicality of early motoring into a crisp, navigable portrait of the American West. Stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, it gives special prominence to Oregon, where arterial routes thread through river valleys, over mountain passes, and toward the coast. Clear inset maps amplify its utility: a U.S. mileage guide for planning long hauls, focused views of Portland, Eugene, and Salem for urban approach and exit, and a devoted panel to Crater Lake National Park. Roads leap from the surface in confident red, while rivers, lakes, and coasts cool the eye in blue; shaded relief cues the traveler to the gradients that shape the journey.

The H.M. Gousha Company stood at the forefront of interwar American cartography, a pioneer in converting nascent highway systems into legible, enticing travel narratives. In collaboration with Standard Oil of California, Gousha transformed the humble road map into a tool of both precision and persuasion—part navigator, part invitation. The firm’s design language is unmistakable: hierarchies of route types rendered with unerring clarity, mileages and indexes that simplify decision-making, and typography chosen for legibility at a glance. This map embodies that ethic, fusing corporate sponsorship with cartographic rigor to shepherd motorists through a rapidly modernizing landscape, where dependable service stations and dependable lines on paper made long-distance driving newly attainable.

Oregon forms the heart of the composition. Portland anchors the north with its confluence of routes along the Columbia and Willamette, while Salem and Eugene mark a stately procession down the fertile valley. Eastward, Bend signals the turn into high desert country, its connections carrying travelers alongside the Deschutes and toward the volcanic silhouettes of the Cascades. South through the Rogue Valley, Medford emerges as a gateway to California, while Corvallis threads into the lattice of interior roads. Crater Lake National Park—its caldera waters a radiant blue—receives special attention, both on the main map and in a dedicated inset that underlines its magnetic pull on 1930s travelers. Across the sheet, red highways, blue waterways, and shaded ranges choreograph an itinerary both efficient and scenic.

Beyond Oregon, the map stitches together the West’s grand physiography and its burgeoning infrastructure. From basin-and-range country to maritime coasts and irrigated plateaus, the terrain is translated into a driver’s lexicon—routes, distances, crossings, and climbs—without losing the drama of place. The U.S. mileage inset opens the horizon to multi-state expeditions, while an Oregon mileage chart allows precise intrastate planning, a boon to motorists measuring time and fuel against ambition. National parks and other marquee features are not mere ornaments but navigational beacons, registering the era’s growing reverence for scenic conservation and its allure for road-bound exploration. Insets nest within the main design like footnotes to a longer story, guiding choices at the scale of both journey and detour.

The historical moment is palpable. In the 1930s, as automobiles democratized distance, maps such as this one set the cadence for how Americans discovered their continent—by stringing cities, valleys, passes, and shorelines into coherent routes. Gousha’s palette of assertive reds and cooling blues, its measured shading, and its disciplined labeling compress the immensity of the West into something graspable yet still aspirational. An indexed margin of cities and towns promises certainty at every fork, even as scenic routes whisper of unplanned stops and park rims at dawn. The Western States road map captures an inflection point in travel—when infrastructure met imagination—and preserves it as both guide and artifact of American mobility’s golden age.

Cities and towns on this map

• Portland (modern population: ~650,000)
• Eugene (modern population: ~175,000)
• Salem (modern population: ~180,000)
• Bend (modern population: ~100,000)
• Medford (modern population: ~80,000)
• Corvallis (modern population: ~60,000)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Detailed highways and roads, prominently marked in red.
• Major rivers and lakes, with clear blue shading indicating water bodies.
• Mountain ranges and topographic features illustrated through varied shading.
• Inset maps situated within the main design, providing geographical highlights.
• An indexed list of cities and towns along the margins for navigation ease.
• Landmarks such as national parks, particularly Crater Lake National Park.

Historical and design context

• Creation Year: 1935
• Mapmaker/Publisher: HM Gousha Company
• Specific Purpose: Created for the Standard Oil Company of California as a travel aid for the Western United States.
• Oregon Mileage Chart: Offers practical reference for distances within Oregon, assisting journey planning.
• Design: Printed on lightweight paper designed to be easily folded into self-wrappers (23 x 11 inches), reflecting travel convenience of the era.
• Historical Significance: Represents travel and transportation infrastructure in the 1930s, showcasing the scenic routes pivotal to regional exploration and development.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.